Women in the Workforce essays

Women in the Workforce essays Cohn, L. (2000, February 15). Tucked away in the latest "Economic Report of the President" is a slew of statistics describing the contribution women have made to the supercharged U.S. economy. The annual report, released in mid-February by President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, says that "the progress made by women in the paid labor market has been one of the most important economic changes of the 20th century." Petroff-Tobler, L. (2002, September 15). Among the factors contributing to women's entrance into the workplace were propaganda, economic necessity, and a general sense of patriotism and duty to their country to contribute in whatever way they could. Propaganda relating to the assimilation of women into the general workforce was a major tool used to manipulate the people's view of what was appropriate and necessary for women to do. Undoubtedly more important than the fact that women now had more opportunity is the effect that these new opportunities had on the psyche of America's women. In a group of collected letters, women speak of rationing, war bond rallies, salvage campaigns, blood drives, civil defense work, planting and harvesting victory gardens, Red Cross work, and hostessing at United Service Organization, but the underlying feelings regarding these newly acquired responsibilities and freedoms seem to be the most useful aspects of these letters. It can be gathered fr om these that most women were proud of their new accomplishments and enjoyed the new senses of self-reliance and confidence instilled in them through their jobs. They found new capabilities that they were not aware of. Unfortunately, they were unaware of the reality that soon the war would end and things would go back to the way they were before WWII to an extent. Men's return home at the conclusion of the war brought bad tides for women despite their rejoicing at their relatives and friends return. Th...